Cover for sap-buckets.



m.. m 4v 07 3 c e D I/ w f .t w v t a P s. n Tw Of E Km 3...,1.Y Un VBNud .IDI ,BAM Sw Re vm@ t a MRM E ,VM 0f C MM. 5. U .n .n Q d 7 U W 0. Mn L N M LEM N. 1 ww UNTTED STATES PATENT OEEICE.

MARTIN V. B. IVES, OF POTSDAM, NEW YORK.

COVER FOR SAP-BUCKETS.

sBEGIFICATIO'N forming part of Letters Patent No. 717,005. 'datedDecember 30, 1902.

Application filed June 11, 1902. Serial No. 111,186. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom, t 'may concern.:

Be it known that l, MARTIN V. B. IVES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Potsdam, in the county of St. Lawrence and State of NewYork, have invented a new and useful Cover for Sap-Buckets, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The present invention relates to covers for buckets, and particularlybuckets employed as catchers for sap for making maple syrup and sugar.

The object is to provide a simple and very inexpensive structure whichcan be readily applied to any well-known form of bucket and willcompletely cover the same to prevent the ingress of dust and trash of'all sorts, as well as shed Water. At the same time it is held securelyagainst accidental displacement, although it may be readily removed forthe purpose of pouring out the collected sap.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawings and described in the following specification; but it will beunderstood that such changes may be made in the construction as thescope of the appended claims will permit.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a sap-bucketwith the cover in place thereon. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewthrough the same. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the top reversed. Fig.lis a detail sectional view through one of the holding-blocks. Fig. 5 isa vertical sectional view through the upper portion of the bucket withthe cover removed and located above the same to more clearly illustratethe relative proportions of the two.

Similar numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the drawings.

The bucket, which is designated by the reference-numeral 10, may be ofany well-known form, being preferably cylindricalin form and having anopening 1l, that receives the depending hook 12 of the sap-spout 13. Onthis bucket is placed the improved cover, V(designated as a whole by thereference-numeral 14.) This cover comprises a iiexible capplate 15, thatis of any suitable material, preferably constructed of paper that iswaterproofed by means of paraffin or other suitable material. Said coveris provided with a suitable opening 16 to allow for the spout 13.

Holding projections 17 are located at diametrically opposite points ofthe under face of the cover, said projections being in the form ofblocks'secured in place by nails 18 or other fastening devices passedthrough the cap-plate and through suitable washers 19, that prevent thetearing of .the latter. It will be noted that the blocks terminate shortof the cap-plate, so that their outer faces or shoulders 2O will belocated within said edges, and the projecting portions of the cap-platetherefore constitute eaves that extend over the rim of the bucket. Inthe practical ernbodiment of the invention the distance between theouter faces or shoulders of the blocks is greater than the distancebetween diametrical points on the rim, so that when said blocks areplaced within the rim, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the cap-plate will bebowed or convexed upwardly, forming a sloping cover that will shed thewater.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention hooks 21 are secured to theouter faces of the blocks and have depending spring-iingers 22, arrangedto engage over the outer faces of the rim. While this forms anadditional safeguard to prevent the cover from becoming accidentallydetached, it is not absolutely necessary, and the invention is not to belimited to these hooks, as experience has shown that the covers willinaintaiu their proper positions upon the buckets Without the same. Bythis arrangement it will be seen that an exceedingly simple structure isprovided which can be manufactured at very small cost and will preventthe ingress of water or dirt. It will not only shed `the water onaccount of its convexity, but because of the edges of the cap-plateprojecting over the rim of the bucket there is no danger of the waterleaking into the said bucket. At the same time the cover may be readilyremoved when it is desired to gather the sap.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, Operation, andmany advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent tothose skilled in the art without further description, and it will beunderstood that various changes in the size, shape, proportion, andminor details of construction may be resorted to without departing fromthe spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

l. In a cover of the class described, the combination with a flexiblecap-plate, of holding projections secured to opposite portions of theunder face of the cap-plate, said projections terminating short of theedges of the capplate.

2. The combination with a sap-bucket, of a cover for the bucket, saidcover comprising a flexible cap-plate having depending holdingprojections that engage inside the rim of the bucket, the distancebetween the outer faces of the projections being greater than thedistance between opposite points of the bucketrim, whereby the cap-platewill be outwardly bowed or conVeXed when in place upon the bucket.

3. The combination with a sap-bucket, of a cover for the bucket, saidcover comprising a iiexible cap-plate having depending holdingprojections, the outer faces of which are located inside the edges ofthe cap-plate, said projections engaging within the rim of the bucket,the distance between their outer faces being greater than the distancebetween opposite points on the rim, the edges of the capplate extendingover the rim of the bucket.

4. In a cover of the class described,the combination with a waterproofedpaper cap-plate, of holding-blocks located against the under side of thecap-plate, and fastening devices passing through the cap-plate andengaging the holding-blocks. 5. In a cover of the class described,thecombination with a cap-plate having depending shoulders at its oppositesides, said shoulders being located within the planes of the edges ofthe cap-plate, of depending fingers arranged outside of and in spacedrelation to the shoulders, said shoulders and lingers being adapted toengage opposite sides of the bucket-rim. t

6. In a coverof the class described,the combination with a cap-platehaving depending shoulders at its opposite sides, said shoulders beinglocated within the planes of the edges of the cap-plate, ofretaining-hooks secured to the shoulders and having dependingspringfingers located outside of and in spaced relation to theshoulders.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

MARTIN V. B. IVES.

Witnesses:

L. T. Bo'rsFoRn, CLARENCE S. FERRIs.

